Where there is smoke
by nyakattia
Summary: In the darkness flooded with bright lights, someone called her name. "Stella!" The immediate aftermath of the fire. Based on the early episode summery for 4x16. Some hints of Fiesta. Smacked friendship.


All she could smell was smoke.

She had first noticed the smell in the hall, after a long day of work She was trying to fit the key into the lock in just the right way that her door would open, her eyes gritty with overuse, and for a moment she considered ignoring it.

Instead she had turned around and knocked on the door opposite her own. And when there was no answer, she had knocked again.

"Mr Andrews?" she had called out to her neighbor, an elderly smoker. "Mr Andrews, it's Detective Bonasera, are you there?"

That was when she had seen the smoke curling out from underneath the door.

She stood outside now, her lungs full of the stuff, watching as the men of the NYPD tramped in and out of her building. Her neighbors, some of whom she had awoken from their beds herself before the smoke alarms had, somewhat belatedly, started, stood around her in small shocked clusters, holding their loved ones close.

And in the darkness flooded with bright lights, someone called her name.

"Stella!"

She turned as he seemed to appear out of nowhere, running towards her. She blinked and he was in front of her, looking down at her with crystal blue eyes filled with worry.

"Stell, thank god. You okay?"

She started to smile, brush off his concern with a quick, "I'm fi-"

His hands were on her shoulders, and the next thing she knew he had pulled her into a tight hug.

She took a shaky breath in as he held her close, her arms slowly folding around him to return the embrace. Then another as she felt herself relax just a fraction into him.

She had been this close to him once before, a hug to let him know how much she had appreciated him being there for her after the whole Frankie situation. He had accepted it, returned it with a little squeeze to let her know he was there and she was going to be alright.

This hug was nothing like that one. He held her like he almost couldn't believe she was in his arms, and needed to pull her as close as possible to make sure. She rested her head on his chest, breathing him in. And let herself be grateful that he was there.

After a long moment he slowly pulled back, looking down once more into her eyes.

His lips quirked up into a wry smile. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine," she said honestly.

"Cold?"

She realized as he said it that she was shaking. "Um. No. Shock, I think... My apartment..."

In one easy movement he let go of her and shucked his suit jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. It was far to big for her but she accepted it gratefully, tugging the sides around her to insulate herself from the cool night air. It was still warm from his body heat.

When she looked back up at him he was looking over at the building. "What happened?"

"My neighbor apparently fell asleep smoking, set the whole place alight. I was just coming home, smelled the smoke..." She frowned. "The fire alarms weren't working properly, and they won't tell me how far it spread yet."

He put his hands back on her arms and rubbed them up and down through the jacket, the gesture soothing. "Everyone get out?" he asked.

"Everyone but Mr Andrews."

They were still so close that she almost felt his sigh. "Good. When I heard your address come over the radio- again- Stell..."

Suddenly the wry half smile that he was wearing disappeared, and the warmth went out of his eyes. She could see he was focused on something over her shoulder but before she could turn, he looked down at her again. The smile he gave her now was forced.

"Mac's here. I'm gonna go see if they'll tell me anything."

And, almost as quickly as he had arrived, he left. She frowned after him.

"Stella."

The call was less urgent, more contained. She turned to face Mac with a ready smile. "I'm fine, Mac, really."

He looked her over with serious eyes and accepter her assessment with a nod. "Was that Flack, just now?"

She nodded, looking over towards the building. But the detective, who's jacket she still wore, had disappeared. "Yeah, he went to talk to the Captain, I think."

"Okay," Mac said, looking back at her. "You going to be okay?"

She shrugged. "I'll be fine."

She accepted the hug he gave her, feeling the strength and friendship in the brief embrace. "I'm going to go find Flack and then we'll see about getting you a hotel room for the night," he told her as they parted.

She smiled briefly and he left, following the same path another man had taken moments before.

Shivering again alone in the cold, Stella pulled the borrowed jacket tighter around herself, burying her nose in the fabric. Even over the pervasive smoke, it smelled like him. And she frowned again.

--

I wrote this based purely on the information that there would be a fire in Stella's building. Unfortunatly, then the promo came out and now I know the case has something to do with a teenager not an old man. Oh well.

Reviews are always appreciated!


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